FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 Volume 27, Issue 2 Daily news updates WWW.BLE-T.ORG L ocomotive E NGINEERS T RAINMEN N EWS & Register for News Flash email alerts at: www.ble-t.org Published by the BLET, a division of the Rail Conference, International Brotherhood of Teamsters BLET President's Message Industry’s punitive approach to discipline doesn’t work pg. 2 Runion Reelected Begins third term as Chairman of Wyoming Legislative Board pg. 4 • • 2013 SMA Richmond to host BLET for 86th annual SMA pg. 7 • Continued on page 3 • T op BLET leaders took ad- vantage of a two-day ses- sion on railroad safety in late February to bring key safe- ty issues for locomotive engineers and trainmen to the attention to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the transportation industry’s pri- mary accident investigation body. On February 26, the NTSB conducted a hearing in connec- tion with its on-going investiga- tion into the June 24, 2012 high speed, head-on collision of two Union Pacific Railroad freight trains near Goodwell, Oklaho- ma. The accident claimed the lives of BLET Division 592 Pres- ident Dan J. Hall, Division 592 Member John S. Hall and a con- ductor, and seriously injured a second conductor. At this hearing, BLET Nation- al President Dennis R. Pierce par- ticipated in a panel of witnesses who testified about accidents and incidents in which human factors play a role. Pierce in- formed the Board about the in- creasing complexity of the loco- motive engineer’s job because of new technologies, new regula- tions, and new operating require- ments that force engineers to multi-task more now than ever before. He was also critical of the industry’s punitive approach to discipline. Pierce also pointed out that, at a time of legitimate transpor- tation industry concern over dis- tractions from personal electron- ic devices such as cell phones, BLET members are buried in a growing blizzard of electron- ic devices installed to increase productivity and monitor per- formance in ways that divert their vigilance from the roadway ahead. A trancript of his testimony appears on Page 2 of this issue. The BLET’s Safety Task Force was in attendance as the union’s representative at the hearing. The team included National Chair- man W. C. Walpert, National Co- ordinator C. W. Fields, and Pri- mary Investigators S. G. Palmer and J. D. Bullard. On February 27, the NTSB conducted a day-long forum on Positive Train Control (PTC), which focused on implementa- tion problems and delays the rail- roads say they are experiencing. Among the three panels to testi- fy before the Board was one that included BLET Vice President S. J. Bruno, who coordinated the Organization’s participation in developing a PTC regulation in 2009, after Congress mandat- ed installation of the life-saving train control system following the tragic 2008 accident in Chatsworth, California. T he Brotherhood of Locomo- tive Engineers and Train- men will mark its 150th year birthday May 8, 2013. It is the oldest transportation la- bor organization in North America. Founded May 8, 1863, at Detroit, Mich., the BLET has its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. It has more than 500 Divisions (locals) throughout the Unit- ed States. The first unit of the Brother- hood to be formed was Division 1 in De- troit, Mich., on May 8, 1863. The Brotherhood is returning to De- troit in May of 2013 to host a celebration of this historic milestone. A series of meetings and events will culminate with a celebratory banquet the evening of May 8. All active and retired members are in- vited to attend. Registration information is available in this issue. In the three decades before the found- ing of the BLET, locomotive engineers suffered abominable working condi- tions. The 24-hour workday was com- monplace. Railroad magnates ran rough- shod over employees. Strikes were mercilessly crushed. Several attempts to organize locomo- tive engineers were made between 1855 and 1860. It wasn’t until April 1863, how- ever, that William D. Robinson, a Michi- gan Central locomotive engineer, brought 19 men of the craft together at his home in Marshall, Mich., and inspired them to- ward the organization, which survives to- day. A monument marking the event still stands in Marshall. At a meeting in Detroit the follow- ing month, a dozen men agreed to put their destinies together. They cement- ed a common bond on May 8, 1863, elected Robinson as their Grand Chief Engineer (president), and named the group the Brotherhood of the Foot- board. By August 1863, 10 Divisions had been established — Detroit and Marshall, Mich.; Michigan City, Ind.; Adrian, Mich.; Norwalk, Ohio; two at Chicago, Ill.; Lafyaette, Ind.; Crestline, Ohio; and LaPorte, Ind. The name Brotherhood of Locomo- tive Engineers (BLE) was adopted at the first national convention held in India- napolis in August 1864. BLET leaders press NTSB on safety concerns BLET celebrates 150th year 150TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS PLANNED FOR DETROIT ON MAY 8, 2013 Continued on page 5 • SEE PAGE 5 FOR MORE DETAILS ON 150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION • WWW.BLE-T.ORG/BLET150
Transcript
FEBruary/march 2013Volu m e 27, I s su e 2
Da i ly n ews u pdat e s www.BlE-t.org LocomotiveE n g i n E E r s T r a i n m E n n E w s&
R e g i s t e r f o r N e w s F l a s h e m a i l a l e r t s a t : w w w . b l e - t . o r g
P u b l i s h e d b y t h e B L E T, a d i v i s i o n o f t h e R a i l C o n f e r e n c e , I n t e r n a t i o n a l B r o t h e r h o o d o f Te a m s t e r s
BLET President's MessageIndustry’s punitive approachto discipline doesn’t work pg. 2
Runion Reelected Begins third term as Chairmanof Wyoming Legislative Board pg. 4
• •
2013 SMA Richmond to host BLET for86th annual SMA pg. 7
•
Continued on page 3 •
Top BLET leaders took ad-vantage of a two-day ses-sion on railroad safety in
late February to bring key safe-ty issues for locomotive engineers and trainmen to the attention to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the transportation industry’s pri-mary accident investigation body.
On February 26, the NTSB conducted a hearing in connec-tion with its on-going investiga-
tion into the June 24, 2012 high speed, head-on collision of two Union Pacific Railroad freight trains near Goodwell, Oklaho-ma. The accident claimed the lives of BLET Division 592 Pres-ident Dan J. Hall, Division 592 Member John S. Hall and a con-ductor, and seriously injured a second conductor.
At this hearing, BLET Nation-al President Dennis R. Pierce par-ticipated in a panel of witnesses
who testified about accidents and incidents in which human factors play a role. Pierce in-formed the Board about the in-creasing complexity of the loco-motive engineer’s job because of new technologies, new regula-tions, and new operating require-ments that force engineers to multi-task more now than ever before. He was also critical of the industry’s punitive approach to discipline.
Pierce also pointed out that, at a time of legitimate transpor-tation industry concern over dis-tractions from personal electron-ic devices such as cell phones, BLET members are buried in a growing blizzard of electron-ic devices installed to increase productivity and monitor per-formance in ways that divert their vigilance from the roadway ahead.
A trancript of his testimony appears on Page 2 of this issue.
The BLET’s Safety Task Force was in attendance as the union’s representative at the hearing. The team included National Chair-man W. C. Walpert, National Co-ordinator C. W. Fields, and Pri-
mary Investigators S. G. Palmer and J. D. Bullard.
On February 27, the NTSB conducted a day-long forum on Positive Train Control (PTC), which focused on implementa-tion problems and delays the rail-roads say they are experiencing. Among the three panels to testi-fy before the Board was one that included BLET Vice President S. J. Bruno, who coordinated the Organization’s participation in developing a PTC regulation in 2009, after Congress mandat-ed installation of the life-saving train control system following the tragic 2008 accident in Chatsworth, California.
The Brotherhood of Locomo-tive Engineers and Train-men will mark its 150th year birthday May 8, 2013. It is the oldest transportation la-
bor organization in North America. Founded May 8, 1863, at Detroit,
Mich., the BLET has its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. It has more than 500 Divisions (locals) throughout the Unit-ed States. The first unit of the Brother-hood to be formed was Division 1 in De-troit, Mich., on May 8, 1863.
The Brotherhood is returning to De-
troit in May of 2013 to host a celebration of this historic milestone. A series of meetings and events will culminate with a celebratory banquet the evening of May 8. All active and retired members are in-vited to attend. Registration information is available in this issue.
In the three decades before the found-ing of the BLET, locomotive engineers suffered abominable working condi-tions. The 24-hour workday was com-monplace. Railroad magnates ran rough-shod over employees. Strikes were mercilessly crushed.
Several attempts to organize locomo-tive engineers were made between 1855 and 1860. It wasn’t until April 1863, how-ever, that William D. Robinson, a Michi-gan Central locomotive engineer, brought 19 men of the craft together at his home in Marshall, Mich., and inspired them to-ward the organization, which survives to-day. A monument marking the event still stands in Marshall.
At a meeting in Detroit the follow-ing month, a dozen men agreed to put their destinies together. They cement-ed a common bond on May 8, 1863,
elected Robinson as their Grand Chief Engineer (president), and named the group the Brotherhood of the Foot-board. By August 1863, 10 Divisions had been established — Detroit and Marshall, Mich.; Michigan City, Ind.; Adrian, Mich.; Norwalk, Ohio; two at Chicago, Ill.; Lafyaette, Ind.; Crestline, Ohio; and LaPorte, Ind.
The name Brotherhood of Locomo-tive Engineers (BLE) was adopted at the first national convention held in India-napolis in August 1864.
BLET leaders pressNTSB on safety concerns
BLET celebrates 150th year150Th aNNivERsaRy EvENTs pLaNNEd FoR dETRoiT oN May 8, 2013
Continued on page 5 •S e e Pa g e 5 f o r m o r e d e ta i l S o n 15 0 t h a n n i v e r S a ry C e l e b r at i o n • w w w. b l e -t . o r g/ b l e t15 0
2 www.ble-t.org
BLET EdiTor’s NoTE: On Feb-ruary 26, BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce testified before the National Transportation Safe-ty Board regarding major safety concerns in the rail industry. A transcript of his testimony is pub-lished here in its entirety.
Madame Chairman — Members of the Board — good morning. I want
to thank you for the opportuni-ty to provide the views of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-gineers and Trainmen concern-ing issues having life and death consequences for the BLET’s 37,500 active members.
I’ll start with our perspective regarding safety risks and im-plications and obstacles to im-provement — task overload in the operating environment — performance expectations by the railroad — the effectiveness of post-incident remedial actions — and I’ll close by contrasting legitimate safety culture with the reality in the field today.
The job of a locomotive en-gineer has become astonishing-ly more complicated since I was promoted 32 years ago — so much so that I can only touch upon a couple of critical con-cerns in the time allotted to me.
It is obvious to most of us that there are limitations on how many tasks any human being can safely accomplish at one time. Whether it be new technology, new regulations, or new operat-ing requirements, engineers must multi-task more now than ever before, much of it under intense scrutiny via the railroads’ tech-nology that automatically down-loads the locomotives’ activities.
Although we are hopeful that current study at the Volpe Cen-ter on this very issue lead to the development of industry stan-dards that will help in determin-
ing when task overload has cre-ated an unsafe condition, the industry as a whole has shown little interest in addressing this issue. For example, distributive locomot ive power placed throughout the train and con-trolled by the engineer from the lead locomotive has become com-monplace in the industry, espe-cially on the Western roads. The challenge of keeping a train in-tact with different portions on different — and often opposite — grades is magnified today when a mid-train or rear end D-P consist must be operated sepa-rately from the head end consist.
Similarly, current regulations governing the use of train whis-tles require that much more at-tention be given to the timing and duration of whistling crossings, all under threat of disciplinary action for less than perfect com-pliance. Add that on many terri-tories, engineers are inundated with written notices, bulletins and train orders that require them to carry and be familiar with reams of paperwork as they traverse the line on which they operate. While no single item on this list of du-ties would be of concern in most operating situations, the industry cannot deny that task overload exists and expect to avoid the di-sastrous consequences that fol-low when any engineer is expect-ed to do more than is humanly possible.
Also from an operating per-spective, today’s engineers have far fewer approved train handling options than their predecessors. Power braking is largely prohib-ited; dynamic braking is mandat-ed to conserve fuel and reduce wear and tear on brake shoes. More and more locomotives are being equipped with on-board fuel management electronics, which not only further reduce an engineer’s operational choices, but the technology often reduces
available power when an engineer expects it least, further compli-cating his or her duties.
When I trained to become an engineer, I was taught that if your train isn’t braking as expected, your job is to get stopped before passing the next signal — by any means necessary. Today’s engi-neers are so intimidated by the threat of discipline up to and in-cluding dismissal for initiating heavy brake pipe reductions to get maximum braking effect, or for placing their train in emer-gency, that often do neither when they truly should.
It’s ironic that — at a time of legitimate transportation indus-try concern over distractions from personal electronic devices such as cell phones — my mem-bers are buried in a growing bliz-zard of electronic devices in-stalled to increase productivity and monitor performance in ways that divert their vigilance
from the roadway ahead — which no one seems to worry about.
With so many systems to manage, today’s locomotive en-gineers are routinely put in sit-uations where they are severely challenged to balance all that they have to do. Yet, the stan-dard response when things go wrong is to continue to blame the worker by punishing the per-son, instead of fully investigat-ing the root causes of events in this complex operating environ-ment, then adjusting systems and procedures to reduce risk.
The fact is no one comes to work planning on running by a red signal. And no one learns to become a better engineer by spending up to two years unem-ployed for passing one. Nor does the industry reduce red signal infractions by firing engineers who pass a red signal to send a message to those that have nev-er passed one. Such messages are
useless; no one passes a red sig-nal on purpose.
In the aviation industry, pilots are trained in simulators to safe-ly handle unexpected operating problems. Although UP has ex-perimented with non-punitive programs — such as Clear Signal for Action and the Confidential Close Call Reporting System — neither program is designed to assess and then train to reduce signal violations. No train pow-ers or brakes the same, and there are locations on every run where the average engineer hopes to nev-er have to stop. I can still name those locations on my old run.
The industry must work with labor to identify problem loca-tions or circumstances, as only through cooperation and train-ing, will we create safer workplace. Anything short of that will fail to address red signal infractions in a way that avoids incidents that result in injury or fatality that the NTSB must investigate.
Every time a train being oper-ated by a BLET member passes a red signal, it is matter of timing and inches that determine wheth-er it will collide with another train being operated by a BLET mem-ber — that is life and death. We are a proud craft, and we do not take these risks lightly.
But we do not agree that any engineer should be blamed for the systemic risks created by adding layer upon layer of elec-tronic technology without prop-er training and retraining, and with inadequate consideration of the complexities of the hu-man-machine interface. The in-dustry can do better than that. We are capable and ready to par-ticipate in that effort.
I thank you for your time and attention, and I’ll try to answer any questions you may have.
dennis r. PierceBLET National President
BLET PrEsidEnT’s MEssagE by DENNIS R. PIERCE
Official communications be-tween BLET members and the National Division require a hard copy of the correspon-
dence, bearing a signature, being received by the National President to be consid-ered an “official communication.” This is to provide that the actual question(s) are addressed, and ensures that when official
interpretations are made they have refer-ence to a specific request and can be used in future correspondence.
The volume of e-mails received makes it impossible for the National President to answer all unofficial communications. Therefore, it is the policy of the BLET that e-mails addressed to the National Presi-dent will be reviewed and forwarded to
the appropriate officer or staff for a time-ly response; however, an e-mail message is not considered an official communication.
Moreover, anonymous e-mails and e-mails that do not provide sufficient in-formation concerning the sender to en-able National Division staff to confirm the sender’s membership status will not receive any reply or acknowledgement. This poli-
cy is intended to allow the National Presi-dent to be aware of the opinions and sug-gestions of the membership, while at the same time providing a timely response to the member’s unofficial communication, if a response is necessary, without need-lessly expending limited BLET resources.
Adopted at Cleveland, ohio on July 22, 2010. •
BLET National Division Electronic Communications Policy
No one goes to work planningon running by a red signal
The industry must work with labor to identify problem locations or circumstances, as only throughcooperation and training, will we create safer workplace. Anything short of that will fail to address red
signal infractions in a way that avoids incidents that result in injury or fatality that the NTSB must investigate.
President Pierce’s testimony regarding safety in the rail industry
President Pierce with newly-elected Local Chairman Randy Gorzell, BLET Division 197 (San Antonio, Texas). On February 19, President Pierce met Brother Gorzell and other new Local Division officersat a joint Local Chairman training class for the Union Pacific-Southern Region GCA (General Chairman Warren Dent); the Kansas City Southern GCA (General Chairman Sam Parker); and the BNSF/MRL GCA (General Chairman Matt Wilson).
3FEBruary/march 2013
once again, the Amer-ican people are being held hostage by a Congress that refuses
to act. Republican lawmakers’ al-legiance to big business and the ultra-rich has caused yet another stalemate in our legislative branch. And once again, it will be Amer-ica’s working families that will pay the price.
Sequestration will cause thou-sands of American families to suf-fer because of $85 billion in auto-matic spending cuts. These cuts will destroy jobs in education, eliminate critical services for the mentally ill and the elderly, cut health care for military families, threaten food safety and lead to the furlough of federal employees.
Austerity is destroying the economies of Europe and wors-ening the European debt crisis. Austerity here at home will de-stroy America’s already fragile
economy and increase our deficit unless Congress acts.
The real root cause of our bud-get crisis is due to decades of mis-guided trade policy that has hol-lowed out our manufacturing base, caused wages to fall and starved our government of reve-nue. Bad trade policy hasn’t hurt the richest Americans at all, in fact, their wealth has continued to climb while working men and women face less opportunities, inflation and stagnant wages. Our trade imbalance is masquerading as a debt crisis.
By not acting to end the se-quester, Republicans are telling us that tax loopholes and their billionaire benefactors are more important than creating jobs and stimulating commercial activity in their own country. They pre-fer to defend an unfair tax code while attacking retirement and health benefits that Americans
work all their lives to earn.Our government must get to
work on continuing to strength-en our middle class and restore balance to an economy that fa-vors excessive profits over work-place fairness. Job creation in our country is just starting to pick up steam and it would be a huge mis-take to kill what little momentum we have with these wrong-head-ed and unneeded cuts due to se-questration.
This shameful attack on the American people must end and Congress must act to stop the se-quester and get America working again.
Fraternally,
James p. hoffaTeamsters General President
gEnEraL PrEsidEnT’s MEssagE by JAMES P. HOFFA
By not acting to end the sequester, Republicans are telling us that tax loopholesand their billionaire benefactors are more important than creating jobs
and stimulating commercial activity in their own country.
Creating jobsmust be the priority
Sign up for BLET News Flashes!Register at www.ble-t.org to get Brotherhood news emailed to you
Stay up-to-date with the latest Broth-erhood news by going to the BLET web-site and signing up to receive BLET News Flash alerts via email.
The News Flash alerts are news ar-ticles from the BLET National Division website that are sent automatically emailed to you.
To register, just go to www.ble-t.org. In the lower right hand cor-ner of the page, you will find an area to
enter your email address to begin re-ceiving the most current news from the BLET National Division.
It is a great way to keep informed on the most recent issues impacting your job, your contract and your Brother-hood.
Vice President Bruno echoed some of the themes raised in President Pierce’s testimony. He told the Board that “in ac-tuality, a two-mile-long train with a DP consist in the middle is, functionally, two one-mile-long trains coupled togeth-er and operated by a single locomotive engineer.” Bruno then explained why PTC — as an overlay on top of existing signal systems — was a necessity.
“When first designed and installed, the current fixed signal systems were intend-ed for use for single-train operations, and stopping distances were calculated on this basis, with an added margin for less than optimal braking performance. In many places that added margin is approaching or has reached its limitations for to-day’s train weights and DP train opera-tions. Increased stopping distance requires
increased warning distances to maintain the existing level of safety,” Bruno said.
Bruno also urged the NTSB to stand firm against some in the railroad indus-try who are “resisting, watering down and lobbying against implementing PTC technology.”
National President Pierce thanked the NTSB for providing a high-profile forum for the BLET’s concerns. “I want to thank Chairman Hersman, all the Board mem-bers, and the NTSB’s Technical Commit-tees for their work this week,” Pierce said.
“We had an opportunity to state our case for this life-saving system for oper-ating employees and the travelling pub-lic. As a union, the Brotherhood’s goal is to fight for a safe working environment for our members and to see they are able to safely go home to their families each and every time they go to work. I am hope-ful that Brother Bruno and I were able to take steps toward achieving that goal,” Pierce added. •
To view, download or printthe testimony given byvice president Bruno,visit the BLET website:www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/Bruno_NTSB_PTC.pdf
the u.s. railroad retirement Board an-nounced on march 8 that unemploy-ment and sickness benefits payable under the railroad unemployment in-
surance act (ruia) for days after february 28, 2013, are being reduced by 9.2% as part of a package of automatic spending cuts required by the Budget control act of 2011 (Bca), which was passed in august 2011. retirement annuities paid under the age and service or occupational dis-ability provisions of the railroad retirement act are unaffected.
the Board’s march 8 notice states as follows:“this sequestration is the result of the failure
of the Joint select committee on deficit reduc-tion to propose, and congress to enact, legisla-tion reducing the deficit, as required by the Bca. under the Bca, the cuts were triggered to take effect beginning January 1, 2013, if the Joint se-lect committee on deficit reduction did not agree to a $1.2 trillion deficit-reduction package by november 23, 2011. the cuts were initially de-layed but will now take effect march 1, 2013.
the initial reduction will continue through sep-tember 30, 2013. congress will determine the amount of subsequent reductions for october 1, 2013 and beyond.”
the notice instructs Blet members who have questions regarding the reduction or sequestra-tion of ruia benefits to contact the railroad re-tirement Board’s Quality reporting service cen-ter at (312) 751-4992.
Blet national President dennis r. Pierce sharp-ly criticized the forced cut in benefits. “congress had a year and a half to get its act together and pass a deficit-reduction package that balances revenue increases and spending cuts,” Pierce said. “shame on those who stood in the way of a resolution that would have prevented harm to the most vulnerable of americans.”
updates will be provided as additional infor-mation is obtained. •
The Railroad Retirement Board’s Notice can viewed, printed or downloaded at: www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/pl13-04.pdf
SequeSter impactSruia benefitS
Vice President Bruno
NTSB SafeTy coNcerNSContinued from page 1 •
Reduced 9.2% afteR febRuaRy 28
4 www.BlE-t.org
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Cory L. Runion was reelected by accla-mation to his third term as Chairman of the Wyoming
State Legislative Board follow-ing triennial meetings that con-cluded on February 21, 2013, in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Brother Runion, a member of Division 115 (Cheyenne), is a Union Pacific locomotive engi-neer who first joined the Broth-erhood on December 1, 2000. He was elected Vice Chairman of the State Legislative Board in 2007, and assumed the Chair-man’s office on September 28, 2008, following the retirement for former State Chairman Ter-ry R. Jones. Brother Runion was reelected by acclamation in 2010.
“I am honored to be elected to serve the Board and look forward to taking on the challenges we will face in the future,” he said. “We have several new mem-bers on the Board and the activi-ties during our meetings I believe have helped them as well as our re-turning Board members to be-come energized and given them new tools to do their jobs in their local Divisions.”
Also elected by acclamation to three-year terms were: 1st Vice Chairman Terry L. Cooke, Di-vision 103 (Cheyenne, Wyo.); 2nd Vice Chairman Gerald L. Hall, Division 44 (Cheyenne, Wyo.); Secretary-Treasurer Anthony P. Lecholat, Division 624 (Sheri-dan, Wyo.); and Alternate Sec-retary-Treasurer George W. John-
son, Division 207 (Casper, Wyo.).Elected by acclamation as
members of the Audit Commit-tee were: Steve S. Dyer, Division 31 (Bill, Wyo.); Jeff M. Leaf, Divi-sion 142 (Rawlins, Wyo.); and Ed-die R. Sjostrom, Division 869 (Greybull, Wyo.).
Delegates honored retiring
Secretary-Treasurer Lawrence F. Kemper (Division 94, Gillette, Wyo.) and recognized his many years of service to the Board. “It has been such a pleasure to work with Brother Lawrence for these past years and he faithful-ly kept our Board’s records in an exemplary manner,” Chairman
Runion said. “We wish him the best in the future.”
The delegates had a full sched-ule that included several guest speakers. BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce addressed the group and took questions.
“I congratulate Brother Run-ion and thank all officers and
members of the Wyoming State Legislative Board,” President Pierce said. “I especially encour-age the younger members of the Board to continue their work with the union, as you are the future of our Organization. Also, I thank Brother Lawrence Kem-per for his many years of hard work on behalf of Brotherhood.”
Vice President and National Legislative Representative John P. Tolman provided informa-tion about the 2012 election cy-cle and how the efforts of orga-nized labor created the outcome that it did.
Additional guests included: Dave Geisler, General Chair-man, UP-Eastern District GCA; Jim Wilmesher, Chairman, Col-orado State Legislative Board; Dave Ditzel, BLET Special Rep-resentative; Kim Floyd, Execu-tive Secretary, Wyoming AFL-CIO; John Manutes, Lakewood District Chief Inspector, Feder-al Railroad Administration; Dan Neal, Executive Director, Wyo-ming Equality State Policy Cen-ter; and retired former BLET Wyoming State Legislative Board Chairman Terry Jones.
The delegates also heard from several members of the Wyo-ming State legislature, which is currently in session in Chey-enne. Among them was State Senator John Hastert, who is also the Vice President of the Wyoming AFL-CIO.
The meeting was especially proud to welcome State Legisla-tive Representatives Ken Esqui-bel and Lee Filer, who in addi-tion to their service in the Wyoming legislature are mem-bers of BLET Division 115 in Cheyenne. Esquibel’s brother Floyd A. Esquibel, a State of Wy-oming Senator, was also in at-tendance. •
Runion reelected Chairman ofWyoming State Legislative Board
Officers, members and guests attending the triennial meeting of theWyoming State Legislative Board on February 21, 2013.
Wyoming State Rep. Ken Esquibel (left), a member of BLET Div. 115, and Chairman Runion (right).
from left: Retiring WSLB Secretary-Treasurer Law-rence F. Kemper and WSLB Chairman Cory Runion.
Proud memberS of bletdiviSion 56, Colton, Calif.
Members of BLET Division 56 in Colton, Calif., have submitted a group photo taken at their regular Division meeting on March 13, 2013. A key topic of the meeting was the Article 9 notice for the LA Basin followed by
a general discussion for the good of the order. BLET National Vice President Mike Twombly and General Chairman Bill Hannah (Union Pacific-Western Lines GCA) were in attendance. Brother Hannah has been a member of Division 56 since 1982.
seated, from left: Stooky Durazo; Kent A. Richards; Brian J. Becker, Secretary-Treasurer; General Chairman Hannah; and Chris Madera. standing: Andrew Rentas Jr.; Frank Durazo; Eustaquio Durazo Jr.; Charles F. Henninger Jr.; R. Dean Dodson; Scott D. Gon-salues; Chris T. Ranford, Legislative Representative; Ken J. Thompson; Vice President Twombly; Bryan A. Millard; Israel Razo; Matt R. Bauman; and Danny L. Holmes.
5FEBruary/march 2013
In 2004, the BLE merged with the In-ternational Brotherhood of Teamsters as the founding member of the Teamsters Rail Conference. After 140 years (1864-2004), the organization changed its name to Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET).
The BLET was the first labor orga-nization to obtain contracts with rail-roads. Among the earliest was an agree-ment with the former New York Central in 1875. Today, the BLET has scores of contracts with railroads large and small, and represents locomotive engineers on 98 percent of rail trackage in the Unit-ed States.
The BLET was a pioneer in the field of labor journalism. It began a monthly journal in 1867. Current official publi-cations include a quarterly magazine, Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Journal, and a monthly newsletter, Lo-comotive Engineers and Trainmen News. The National Division of the BLET has maintained a website since 1996, www.ble-t.org, posting daily news stories and periodic News Flash updates that are emailed to thousands of members.
In cooperation with other railroad brotherhoods, the BLET spearheaded the drive to make the 24-hour workday ille-gal. This was accomplished in 1907 through the Hours of Service Act, which
set a 16-hour maximum. The Adamson Act of 1916, providing
for the eight-hour day, was also a result of the BLET’s leadership. An original copy of the Act is kept at BLET National Divi-sion headquarters in Cleveland, along with the fountain pen used by President Woodrow Wilson to sign the legislation. It was the first federal law dealing with overtime pay.
The BLET also had a leading role in persuading Congress to pass the Rail-way Labor Act in 1926. The act, amend-
ed several times since then, provides procedures for handling labor-manage-ment disputes over wages and working conditions.
The Railroad Retirement and Unem-ployment Insurance Acts, which became effective in 1937, are railroad industry’s counterparts of the Social Security sys-tem. They represent another instance of social progress in which the BLET played an important part.
The Brotherhood has always been proud to support America’s soldiers and
their families. Our union’s membership has been comprised of veterans of every major military conflict since its found-ing, up to and including the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. With BLET mem-bers at the throttle, U.S. railroads car-ried 90 percent of all military freight and 97 percent of all military passenger move-ments during World War II.
Greater safety on the job and greater safety for the shipping and traveling pub-lic have always been BLET’s goals. Legis-lative activities by the BLET and other rail unions have resulted in the Locomotive Inspection Act and statutes requiring the use of air brakes, automatic couplers, elec-tric headlights, power-reverse gears and other technological improvements.
The BLET was again at the forefront in persuading Congress to pass the Rail-road Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The legislation calls for the implemen-tation of Positive Train Control technol-ogy to make the rail industry safer and more efficient, and contains important whistleblower provisions to protect work-ers who report unsafe conditions while on duty.
National President Dennis R. Pierce is the 23rd chief in the BLET’s long his-tory. He has held the post since July 1, 2010, succeeding Paul T. Sorrow. The BLET represents more than 55,000 ac-tive and retired locomotive engineers and trainmen throughout the United States. •
BLeT 150Th aNNiverSaryContinued from page 1 •
on May 8, 2013, the Broth-erhood of Locomo-tive Engineers and Train-
men — the oldest labor union in North America — is celebrating the 150th Anniversary of its found-ing in Detroit, Michigan.
The BLET‘s members, friends and colleagues will gather at the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit ho-tel — the same hotel where we cel-ebrated our 75th and 100th Anni-versaries — to commemorate this momentous occasion. To honor this historic milestone, we are planning an event that will dem-onstrate to government, the indus-try and the nation why we are proud to be American and proud to be Union. Event registration forms, hotel information, and a schedule of events is on the BLET website, www.ble-t.org/blet150.
The impetus for creating the Brotherhood began in Marshall, Mich., with engineers employed by the Michigan Central Railroad. But Detroit is the city where it all began for the Brotherhood. On May 8, 1863, American labor his-tory was made in Detroit with the founding of the Brotherhood of the Footboard. The Organization‘s name was changed one year later to Brotherhood of Locomotive En-gineers, and then to Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen in 2004.
As part of the festivities, members can register for trip to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich., on the evening of May 7. It is one of America’s outstand-ing museums and museum vil-lages. The trip will include trans-
portation to and from Greenfield Village, a cocktail reception, din-ner, and a train ride. Greenfield Village’s “Railroad Junction” area features an operating steam pow-ered locomotive and the Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee round-house, which was moved to Greenfield Village from Mar-shall, Mich., approximately 10 years ago. It is the only working late 19th-centry roundhouse in the Midwest.
On May 8, members will enjoy guest speakers throughout the day as well as a specially produced vid-eo that explores the history of the BLET and the challenges the Or-ganization has faced over the past
150 years. The list of guest speak-ers was unavailable at press time. The evening will conclude with a celebratory banquet and dance.
On May 9, the festivities come to a close with the BLET 150th An-niversary Fundraising Golf Tour-nament. Tee time is 10 a.m. at TPC Michigan in Dearborn. The course plays homage to Scottish style links and is a Jack Nicklaus signature course. Built on land originally purchased by Henry Ford, the course was the world’s first to re-ceive the John James Audubon En-vironmental Steward Award for ecological restoration.
We hope you will join us in De-troit for the festivities. •
EvEnt rEgistration forms, hotEl information, and a schEdulE of EvEnts is on thE BlEt wEBsitE, www.BlE-t.org/BlEt150
a celebration150 years in the making
BlEt 150th anniv Er sar y E v Ent pl annEd for m ay 7-9th in dEtroit, mi
Westin Book cadillac detroit: The Brotherhood has held its 75th, 100th and now 150th anniversary celebrations at this same hotel.Photo: courtesy Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
In the early 1860s, U.S. Military Railroad locomotive “General J.C. Robinson”and other equipment at City Point, Va. The locomotive is typical of ones operated
by early Brotherhood members. Library of Congress photo
in the event that BLET rooms at the Westin Book Cadillac detroit are sold out, overflow hotelinformation will be posted at www.ble-t.org/blet150
6 www.BlE-t.org
150th AnniversAry CelebrAtion registrAtion informAtion
name
Address
City state / Zip
Phone email
blet Div # blet title
blet Aux # Aux title
Company name Company title
Pre-registrAtion / registrAtion feesDate Activity fee # Attending total
registration fee for the blet 150th Anniversary event on or before April 24, 2013 $100.00
registration fee for the blet 150th Anniversary event after April 24, 2013 $125.00
tuesday may 7, 20136:00 Pm – 10:00 Pm eDt
Cocktail Reception, Dinner and Train Ride:Greenfield Village – Dearborn, MI $50.00
Wednesday may 8, 20139:00 Am – 12:00 Pm eDt
150th Anniversary Program:Woodward Ballroom Westin Book Cadillac Included
Wednesday may 8, 201312:00 Pm – 1:00 Pm eDt Lunch Included
Wednesday may 8, 20131:00 Pm – 5:00 Pm eDt
150th Anniversary Program:Woodward Ballroom Westin Book Cadillac Continues Included
Wednesday may 8, 20136:00 Pm – 12:00 Am eDt
Reception, Dinner Banquet and Dance with Live Band: Westin Book Cadillac Venetian and Crystal Ballrooms Included
thursday may 9, 20139:00 Am – 2:00 Pm eDt
Fundraising Golf Tournament (See separate form)
SeparateRegistration
totAl for All registereD events $
Brotherhood of LocomotiveEngineers and Trainmen150th AnniversAry CelebrAtion mAy 8, 2013
Reservations are available at Westin Book Cadillac 1114 Washington Blvd.Detroit, MI 48226, Reservations Number: 888-627-7150. Attendees are responsible
for their own arrangements. Be sure to ask for the BLET-150 Group Rate when making your reservation. The room block at the Westin is limited to 250 rooms.
Room rates are $132.00 per night plus 15% tax if reserved prior to April 17, 2013.
150T
H ANNIVERSARY
PROUD TO BE AMERICAN PROUD T
O BE
UN
ION
1863-2013
150T
H ANNIVERSARY
PROUD TO BE AMERICAN PROUD T
O BE
UN
ION
1863-2013
make checks payable to: blet 150th Anniversary Celebration fundPlease mail them to: blet 150th Anniversary event, 1370 ontario st., standard building – mezzanine, Cleveland, oh 44113-1702
Brotherhood of Locomotive engineers and tr ainmen 150 t h anniversary 1863-2013
in honor of its 150th anni-versary, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
and Trainmen is publishing a new history book that will be released in May 2013. The book will be mailed along with a com-memorative key chain to all ac-tive and retired BLET members.
The book describes the dif-ficult working conditions of the earliest locomotive engineers who went on to establish the Brotherhood in 1863, outlin-ing their motivations and drive to form a protective society. The new history book goes on to de-scribe the organization’s great-est achievements over the past 150 years, while touching upon the tough times as well.
The book updates previous histories that were published by the organization in 1977 and in 1998. The new book contains
updated photography, adding new photography from the mod-ern era along with newly uncov-ered photographs and artwork from the earliest days of the Brotherhood. a new narrative of events brings members up to speed from 1998 through 2013. also, the new book contains a
special section chronicling the evolution of the Brotherhood’s logo over the past 150 years.
“The BLET history Book is something i know all members will be proud of,” BLET Nation-al president dennis R. pierce said. “This new book is the re-sult of countless hours of re-search, writing, editing, and design. The final product is a
beautiful book that will be a keepsake for years to come.”
along with the history book, members will be mailed a commemorative 150th anni-versary key chain. The key chain will show the current BLET logo on one side and a highly-detailed steam locomo-tive and modern diesel loco-motive on the other. •
a group of 13 Michigan Central en-gineers, failing to find privacy for a meeting on company property,
gathered at the home of William d. Rob-inson of Marshall, Michigan, to discuss conditions and map out a plan of action.
They agreed that if any one of them were discharged by [a.s. sweet, the Mich-igan Central’s superintendent], the rest would quit on the spot. a circular was prepared and they all signed it. Then they carried further their plan, which they called a protective association. if other engineers affiliated with the group, they, too, would be required to promise to quit work if any member was fired.
Copies of the circular were distributed over the Michigan Central and other en-gineers, subscribing to the oath, joined the movement with enthusiasm. a committee was formed and went to sweet’s office. sweet refused to see them at first, refusing even to speak to them. But through pa-tiently explaining their mission, the group finally obtained his consent for an inter-view. he is said to have called out to the waiting members of the committee as he entered his office: “Well, boys, what do you propose to do, shut up the road?”
sam hill, one of the committee replied, “We are here as gentlemen, representing gentlemen, and desire to be treated as such.”
hill went on to say that the committee was acting as a unit and that they were speaking for all the engineers from de-troit to Chicago — that they had griev-ances that they wished to adjust. The com-mittee discussed all of the points at issue very thoroughly and it ended by sweet granting the whole of their requests.
When the success of this conference became known, it gave a tremendous im-petus to the protective association and it was decided to extend the movement to all railroads. a call for a general meeting was then issued, to be held in detroit on May 5, 1863.
The detroit convention marked a new age in the organization of american rail-road workers. it brought together engi-neers from the Michigan Central, Mich-igan southern & Northern indiana, detroit & Milwaukee, Grand Trunk, and Michigan southern. Together, the 12 del-egates in attendance drafted a constitu-tion that combined democratic control with efficient central administration, thus solving the fundamental problem that had wrecked many previous labor orga-nizations.
after three days of deliberations and planning for the future, the delegates on May 8, 1863, joined hands and obligated themselves to abide by the constitution, forming the pioneer division of the “Brotherhood of the Footboard,” with W. d. Robinson as chief engineer. This divi-sion — No. 1 in detroit — still maintains its proud position as first on the roster of over 500 divisions of the BLET. •
bLet pubLishes 150thanniveRsaRy histoRy book
www.ble-t.org • History of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen | 1since 1863, a tradition of forward thinkingp u b l i s h e d 2 0 1 3
Cover of the new BLET History Book (left) and various versions of the BLET logo over the years.
7FEBruary/march 2013
Calendar Events
2 013
&Plan ahead for 2013
June 23-28, 201386th annual southeastern Meeting association (sMa)richmond, Va.Arrangements Chairman Troy Bryant, Local Chairman of Division 532, welcomes all BLET members to historic Richmond/Short Pump, Va., for the 2013 SMA. See above.
July 14-July 18, 2013 73rd annual international Western conventionsan francisco, calif.Hosted by Co-chairmen Luis Chavez Jr., Local Chairman of Division 283 (Oakland, Calif.) and Oscar Burrola, Local Chairman of Division 839 (Richmond, Calif.), at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District Hotel for the 2013 IWC. www.iwc2013.org
July 28-august 1, 201375th annual eastern union Meeting association (euMa)Baltimore, md.Arrangements Chairman Fred Cox, Local Chairman of BLET Division 52, welcomes all BLET members to Baltimore for the 2013 EUMA. blet-t.org/EUMA
august 25-29, 2013 78th annual southwestern convention Meeting (sWcM) neW orleans, la. Arrangements Chairman Arlin Todd, Chairman of the Louisiana State Legislative Board, welcomes all BLET members to the Loews New Orleans Hotel for the 2013 SWCM. More details to come.
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when they happen
All members of the Broth-erhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) are invited to Rich-mond, Va., for the 86th an-
nual Southeastern Meeting Association (SMA) from June 23-28, 2013.
SMA Arrangements Chairman Tory Bryant (Local Chairman, Division 532) and Co-Chairman Dave Powers (Secre-tary-Treasurer, Division 532) have orga-nized a program of entertainment and education for BLET members and their families.
Guests will stay at the Hilton Rich-mond Hotel & Spa in Richmond/Short Pump, where the BLET has secured a room rate of $129 per night. Reservations must be made by June 1, 2013. Registra-tion deadline for the SMA convention is May 17. Registration is still open after May 17, but the fee will increase by $40. Those who make hotel reservations by May 15 will be eligible for a drawing to receive a free night’s stay to be given away during the week of the convention.
Hotel reservations and SMA registra-tion forms are available at the SMA web-site, http://www.sma2013.net, or the BLET National Division website, http://www.ble-t.org/sma.
Workshops will feature specialized training for BLET Legislative Represen-tatives, Secretary-Treasurers, Local Chair-men, and Division Presidents. Also avail-able are: a workshop on the BLET mobilization network; a mock Public Law Board; a seminar with the Federal Rail-road Administration; and an informa-tional presentation on the BLET health & welfare plan.
Entertainment activities will include a welcome reception to kick off the SMA on June 23, a casino night (June 24), the annual SMA golf outing (June 25), a tour of Virginia’s historic Maymont estate (June 25), discount tickets to King’s Do-minion theme park (June 25), and the annual SMA banquet (June 27).
“The members of Division 532 are proud to welcome all BLET members to Richmond for the 86th annual SMA,”
Brother Bryant said. “Our agenda offers something for everyone — educational opportunities for members, shopping and historic tours for spouses, and theme park attractions for families. I hope to see you all in Richmond in June.”
For more information, please contact SMA Chairman Troy Bryant or Co-Chairman at the SMA Hotline: (804) 571-0273 or [email protected]. •
Richmond to host BLETfor 86th annual SMA
historic richmond: The Canal Walk (above), Abraham Lincoln Statue (top right) and Monument Avenue (middle right) are among the sits that await BLETmembers in Richmond (bottom right)during the 2013 SMA.
Phot
os: C
opyr
ight
Ric
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etro
polit
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Locomotive Engineers And Trainmen NewsBrotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers And TrainmenA Division Of The Rail Conference, International Brotherhood Of Teamsters
Periodicals PostagePAID
at Cleveland, OH.
BLET Publications Committee:Dennis R. Pierce, National PresidentE. “Lee” Pruitt, First Vice President & Alternate PresidentWilliam C. Walpert, National Secretary-TreasurerJohn P. Tolman, Vice President & National Legislative Rep. John V. Bentley Jr., EditorBill Joyce, Art Director/Assistant Editorwww.ble-t.org (216) 241-2630
COPYRIGHT 2012, ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDVOLUME 27 NUMBER 2 February/March 2013
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS & TRAINMEN NEWS (ISSN 0898-8625)is published monthly by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 1370 Ontario Street, Cleveland, OH 44113-1702.Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH.
Are you a photographer? The National Division’s Public Relations Department, which produces the News-letter each month, has received numerous inquiries lately from BLET members volunteering to contribute their
images to the “Photo of the Month” section of the News-letter. If you’d like to submit a photo for consideration, you may call Editor John Bentley at (216) 241-2630, ext. 248, or you can email: [email protected].
Please note only high resolution images can be used. Members are also encouraged to review their employer’s policies regarding the use of cameras and other electronic devices while on duty.
8february/march 2013
MASONiC BROThERS: The early members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) had strong Masonic beliefs, as evidenced bythis recently uncovered photo of a BLE meeting in Illinois, which was taken in the early to mid-1870s. During early Division meetings, officers wore Masonic regalia with ornamentation that signified the office held (Chief Engineer, Secretary-Treasurer, Guide, Chaplain, etc...). Photo: BLET Archives This is the second in a series of photos from the BLET archives that will be published this year in recognition of the Organization’s 150thanniversary. The BLET was founded as the Brotherhood of the Footboard on May 8, 1863.
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Proud to be AmericAn Proud to be union
Advisory Board December 2012 & January 2013 ActivityIn accordance with the BLET Bylaws, summaries of BLET Advisory Board members’ activities are published monthly:
OrdEr BLET LOgO gEAr And MOrE OnLinE: Go to bletmerchandise.com
NATIONAL PRESIDENT DENNIS R. PIERCE: National Division Office, Cleveland; General supervi-sion of BLET activities; General office duties; Correspondence and telephone communications; Super-vision of Office Administration; General Supervision of Special Representatives; President, Teamsters Rail Conference; Policy Committee, Teamsters Rail Conference; IBT General Executive Board mtg., Washington, D.C.; BLET Secretary-Treasurer training, Cleveland; Secretary-Treasurer workshop, San Diego, Calif.; CRLO mtgs., Hollywood, Fla.
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT E.L. “LEE” PRUITT: National Duties include but not limited to: Director, Passenger Dept.; Shortline Organizing Dept.; Trainmen’s Dept.; National Publications Committee; National Legislative Board; Teamsters Rail Conference Policy Committee; PRAC; and National Nego-tiations; National Duties; Holiday and vacation; Presidential Inauguration, Washington, D.C.; CRLO mtgs., Hollywood, Fla.
NATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER WILLIAM C. WALPERT: General supervision of account-ing dept., records dept., online services dept., tax compliance dept.; Education & Training Dept.; In-ternal Organizing, Mobilizing & Strategic Planning Dept.; Safety Task Force; Meetings with vendors and financial institutions; Publications Committee; Teamsters Rail Conference Policy Committee; Trustee, National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (NRRIT); NRRIT mtg., Washington, D.C.; Secretary-Treasurer workshop, Cleveland; Holiday; Secretary-Treasurer LM-2 workshop, San Diego, Calif.; CRLO mtgs., Hollywood, Fla.
VICE PRESIDENT & NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN P. TOLMAN: Assigned to BLET Washington, DC office; BLET Security Officer; General office duties, telephone, correspon-dence communications; Coordinate content of NLO website; Weekly Drive Committee and Legisla-tive meetings; Hearing on high-speed and intercity passenger rail; Testified at hearing on future of Northeast Corridor (re: options for high-speed rail development and opportunities for private sector participation); Democratic governors’ association mtgs.; Attended swearing in receptions for mul-tiple members of the U.S. House and Senate; Mtg. w/ OneRail, Washington, D.C.; Mtg. w/ CSX Vice President-federal relations, Washington, D.C.; Inauguration events, Washington, D.C.; Swearing in of President Obama, Washington, D.C.; Attended several inaugural events and balls; Met with rail labor representatives regarding PRIIA and RSIA reauthorization, Washington, D.C.; CRLO mtgs., Holly-wood, Fla.; Mtgs. w/ NMB and TTD; Various receptions and meetings with members of U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
VICE PRESIDENT MARCUS J. RUEF: Vice Chairman, full NRAB; Labor Member, 1st Division; Labor Member, National Mediation Board Arbitration Advisory Forum; Director of Arbitration Dept; As-signed to Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; Grand Trunk Western; Duluth Missabe & Iron Range; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; Indiana Harbor Belt; and Belt Railway of Chicago; Assist GC Karakian w/ rules issue, GTW; Assist GC Craddock w/ arbitration prep, IC, Chicago; Assist GC Reynolds w/ mediation prep, WC, Green Bay; Assit GC Rhodes w/ procedural disciplinary issues, UP-C, Chicago; UP griev-ance mediation, NRAB, Chicago; Assist GC Reynolds w/ EJ&E coordination; NRAB issues w/ Referee Darby; Vacation and holiday; WC section 6 mediation, Chicago; Prep. for PLB hearings, PLB 7591 and 7592, referee Simon, W&LE, Chicago; Assist GC Craddock w/ Section 6 negotiations, IC, Chicago; CRLO mtgs., Hollywood, Fla.
VICE PRESIDENT MIkE TWOMBLY: Assigned to all Union Pacific GCAs (Eastern District, Northern Region (former C&NW), Western Lines (Pacific Harbor Lines), Western Region (Portland & Western, Eastern Idaho), Central Region, Southern Region (New Orleans & Gulf Coast); On duty at home of-fice; BLET Division 191 annual holiday and retirement party, Fitchburg, Mass.; Wheeling & Lake Erie mediation cases (A-13672 and A-13673) at National Mediation Board, Washington, D.C.; PLB 7173,
VICE PRESIDENT WILLARD E. kNIGHT: Assigned to: All Norfolk Southern General Committees; Wheeling & Lake Erie; Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern; New York, Susquehanna & Western; New England Central; Connecticut Southern; Western New York & Pennsylvania; Indiana & Ohio; Ohio Central; Grand Trunk Western; General office duties, telephone, correspondence communications, prepare for PLBs, etc.
VICE PRESIDENT GIL GORE: Assigned to all CSX; Union Pacific-Southern Region GCA special assignment; Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) issues, CSXT; General office duties, paperwork, correspondence, telephone calls, etc.; IRR contract ratification mtgs., Indianapolis, Ind.; Article 61 Qualification conference call, CSX LR and GCs; Attend funeral of former GC Gene Thompson, Scott City, Mo.; Holiday and vacation.
VICE PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. PRIESTER: Assigned to all BNSF (former ATSF, former C&S, CRI&P, FWD, former STL-SF, BNSF/MRL), Panhandle Northern, Missouri & North Arkansas, Montana Rail Link, Austin Western RR, Great Western; General office duties, telephone, correspondence communi-cations, etc.; MN&A contract talks, GC Gibbons, Dallas/Fort Worth; Meetings w/ Divisions 238, 402, 518 and 758, w/ BNSF GC Wilson, Vancouver-Pasco, Wash.; Austin Western contract negotiations w/ BNSF GC Wilson, Dallas/Fort Worth; Vacation; Division 238 and 402 meetings, w/ BNSF GC Wilson, Tacoma-Pasco, Wash.; Division 644 mtg. w/ BNSF GC Wilson, Galesburg; CRLO mtgs., Hollywood, Fla.
VICE PRESIDENT COLE W. DAVIS: Assigned to: Kansas City Southern (MidSouth Rail, SouthRail, Gateway Western, Illinois & Midland), Texas Mexican Rwy.; CP Rail System/US (Indiana Southern, Iowa, Chicago & Eastern, Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern); Springfield Terminal (St. Lawrence & At-lantic, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic, Delaware & Hudson), Cedar River, Louisville & Indiana, Huron & Eastern; General office duties, telephone, correspondence communications, etc.; Assist GC Parker, KCS issues; Division 548 mtg., GC Linsey, Peru, Ind.; MM&A negotiations w/ GC Moore, Rosemont, Ill.; Assist GC Craddock, KCS issues; Assist GC Rodriguez, Tex Mex issues; Assist GC Semenek, CP issues; Division 527 mtg., GC Parker, Pittsburg, Kan.; Division 569 mtg. and Christmas party, GC Parker, Poteau, Okla.; Assist GC Baringer, Huron & Eastern issues; Section Four notice, GC Parker and GC Craddock; Huron & Eastern issues w/ Lorenz; Louisville & Indiana Section 6, GC Hartill; PLB 7239, GC Craddock, Portland, Ore.; Mtg. on Section 4 notice, GC Parker; CP pending arbitration, GC Semenek; Springfield Terminal issues and Delaware & Hudson issues, GC Moore; CRLO mtgs., Hollywood, Fla.
VICE PRESIDENT STEPHEN J. BRUNO: Assigned to various Rail Safety Advisory Committees (RSAC); Regulatory duties as assigned by the President; Amtrak; Long Island Rail Road; New York & Atlantic; Metro North; New Jersey Transit; PATH; SEPTA; Metra; Union Railroad; Birmingham Southern; Telephone calls, correspondence, general office duties, etc.; Metra contract negotiations with labor coalition, Chicago; Division 269 mtg., LIRR, Haupauge, N.Y.; Division 373 mtg., NJT, Borden-town, N.J.; Mtg. w/ counsel and labor coalition, NMB/PEG, SEPTA, Philadelphia; Briefs for PLB 5210, PATH; Briefs for NRAB First Division, SEPTA; Conference call, re: STB McKeesport & PLB 940 Holt, URR & NJT; Mtg. w/ FRA Strang, re: BNSF pilot, Washington, D.C.; LIRR, Metro North and ACRE issues, Babylon, N.Y.; PLB 5210, PATH, New York, NY; NRAB First Division, SEPTA, re: security vests, Chicago; FMP RSAC, Washington, D.C.; METRA contract negotiations, Chicago; NECSC, Philadel-phia; CRLO mtgs., Hollywood, Fla.
150TH ANNIVERSARY
PR
OUD TO BE AMERICAN PROUD TO BE U
NION1863-2013
150TH ANNIVERSARY
PR
OUD TO BE AMERICAN PROUD TO BE U
NION1863-2013
Stocking CapShow your union pride wearing our newest
addition — the classic stocking cap. 100% acrylic knit with a fold-over cuff that proudly displays
an embroidered BLET logo in the center.Available in black. One size fits most.
